I have a mental checklist for raising a kid. It encompasses most of the skills that they will need as an adult, so that they can navigate the world. Those genres include banking, cooking, sewing, cleaning, and car maintenance. In this blog post, I’ll put together a list of items I am trying to teach my kids, and let’s see if you can add more.
God
- Attend church regularly and become part of a religious community
- Serve as an acolyte or similar
- Volunteer to serve the church and community
Athletic
- Climbing an alpine tower
- Hiking
- Riding a bike
- Swimming the length of the pool, treading water for 5 minutes
- Self Defense
Outdoors
- Pitching and taking down a tent
- Starting a camp fire
- Cooking over a camp fire
- Being able to identify local plants, and especially poisonous ones
- Identify local snakes, and know which ones are poisonous
- Go fishing
- Handle a gun safely- they are not toys
Home Care
- Change a bed
- Clean a bathroom, including toilets, sinks, counters, and shower area
- Sweep floors
- Vacuum floors
- Mop Floors
- How to dust
- How to wash a window (with windex and old newspapers)
- Do Laundry and put it away
- Put away your stuff
- Change a light bulb
- Unclog a toilet
- Hang a picture
- Use a drill, screwdriver, hammer, and other basic tools
- Paint a room
- Pull weeds
- Water plants
Kitchen
- Be able to make a set number of meals, including things like rice, pasta, eggs, veggies, meats, and some baked goodies
- Know how to clean dishes
- Load and Unload the dishwasher
- Understand proper handling of a kitchen knife, including how to sharpen one
- Know how to put out a kitchen fire properly.
Car Care
- Jump start a battery
- Check oil and fluid Levels, be able to add fluids if necessary(bonus points for changing oil and filter)
- Change a flat tire
- Keeping a car clean
- Put gas in the car
Banking
- Set up an online account, and be able to access that account
- Check your balance
- Write a check
- Pay a bill
- Use a credit card, and why they aren’t free money
- The difference between a debit and credit card
Other
- Sew on a button
- Call someone on the phone, and be able to communicate what you’d like to do (a store, a contractor, place an order, etc)
- Navigate online registrations for things like classes
- Respect others, and be kind to everyone, no matter that they don’t deserve it
What about you? What are you trying to teach kids before they fly the coop?
